One-Eyed Monster

Arnold carefully laid out traps around Moonflow Stream. Ever since receiving Lord Xiso’s command, he hadn’t stopped for a moment. He told himself it was alright to be tired; after all, it was for the sake of protecting the Great Mentor and their home, Guru Mountain.

He was tired simply because he had been so busy. Once this period is over and I’ve finished setting all the traps in Moonflow Stream, I can take a short break, Arnold thought.

Now, Arnold was like a Giant Spider, incessantly spinning webs and placing them where they needed to be, waiting for prey to fall into his traps.

”They will surely fall for it!” Arnold encouraged himself. Deep down, he lacked confidence, but he had no choice but to give himself pep talks to stay optimistic.

Among the monsters on Guru Mountain, Arnold was an oddball. He constantly motivated himself, fearing that without such self-encouragement, his confidence might collapse and he wouldn’t be able to recover.

Most of the monsters just called him Arnold, never his full name. They knew that the more affectionately they referred to him, the more confident he would feel. Their safety heavily relied on his confidence, as Arnold was responsible for guarding Grey Eagle Peak, where the monsters gathered.

Arnold was aware of his shortcomings. His trap-setting skills weren’t exactly top-notch. After all, he wasn’t a Hunter like Dastan, nor did he possess secret techniques comparable to Kuren’s. His traps were primitive and tangible, unlike Kuren’s World Setting Technique, which used vivid Spirit Energy Paintings to confuse enemies, luring them into an Illusionary Realm.

Arnold continued to weave his webs. He couldn’t use the Concealment Spell to its full potential like Dastan, who could make existing things appear as if they had vanished.

Arnold knew very well that his traps were designed for hunting, unlike Dastan’s and Kuren’s, which were for ambushing or corralling. To put it plainly, Arnold’s traps required him to choose to actively attack, while Kuren’s and Dastan’s traps waited for the enemy to step into them.

Strictly speaking, Arnold’s creations weren’t traps in the conventional sense, but more like hunting nets.

However, Spiders capture prey with the webs they weave. Who could argue that a Spider’s web isn’t a trap?

None of this was a problem for Arnold. He had always dealt with hunting, even if, strictly speaking, he couldn’t be called a true Hunter.

Arnold had placed many traps in Moonflow Stream, but Lord Xiso still felt it wasn’t enough and had him add more.

Arnold still remembered Lord Xiso’s rushed visit the previous night. He had seemed to be in a great hurry, as if he had received a particularly urgent command. It wasn’t until Lord Xiso stood before him that Arnold realized he had a new task.

However, this new task seemed absurd. Given the critical situation with the enemy slowly approaching, he believed they should be focusing on reinforcing their defensive lines. My priority should be to re-inspect the traps I’ve already set, not take on a new assignment, he thought.

Moreover, this new task was baffling.

The new task was to convey the Great Mentor’s ”greetings” to Kadi and his companion.

The Great Mentor’s ”greetings”... it sounded very enigmatic. Arnold wasn’t sure what these ”greetings” were actually supposed to be, and now he had to deliver them to Kadi. This seemed even more difficult for him than being told to keep his mouth shut.

If Arnold were to keep silent, it would normally be headline news. He constantly needed to reassure himself that he was capable, his mouth endlessly spouting all sorts of encouraging words.

After accepting the task from Lord Xiso, Arnold was completely perplexed. He wasn’t a particularly intelligent monster, so he couldn’t grasp all the intricacies. He knew he had to complete the task, but he had no idea how.

As for Kadi and his companion, Arnold had noticed them a long time ago. He hadn’t bothered them only because Lord Xiso and the others had said there was no need to pay Kadi any mind.

Speaking of Kadi and his companion, Arnold felt there were several things worth mentioning.

For starters, their vigilance—or rather, lack thereof—couldn’t have been worse. Spending a night in an unfamiliar environment, they had simply sprawled out on the ground and fallen asleep, completely oblivious to their surroundings and paying no attention to any unusual occurrences.

Both of them were such deep sleepers. Arnold had walked right past them, and they hadn’t even stirred. They showed absolutely no alertness. On a battlefield, those two would undoubtedly be annihilated by a sneak attack.

Forget enemies; Arnold himself could have easily tossed Igor and Kadi into the Primordial Wasteland the previous night. They slept so soundly they wouldn’t have reacted at all.

As Arnold walked past those two, he had muttered his disapproval. I really need to go back and ask Kevin how he’s been guiding Kadi, he’d thought. To let him have absolutely no awareness of potential threats!

He resolved not only to question Kevin but also to confront Lord Xiso about why Kadi was being granted such extensive privileges—a green light, essentially, allowing him to pass unhindered and undisturbed. Isn’t this just blatantly fostering a false sense of confidence in Kadi?

This false sense of security will only harm Kadi; it won’t benefit him in any way.

I, Arnold, can see such a simple truth. Why can’t Lord Xiso and Kevin see it? Aren’t they harming Kadi by sheltering him like this?

Arnold’s mind never stopped racing.

And, of course, his mouth never stopped moving either.

”Kadi, oh Kadi, your real test is coming very soon.”

”The Great Mentor has sent his ’greetings,’ and I’m currently pondering how exactly to deliver them to you, Kadi.”

”It’s the Great Mentor who’s truly concerned about you, Kadi. Look at the others—who among them is thinking about your future? They’re all keeping you hidden away, terrified someone might snatch you up. Now, setting traps for you, creating obstacles for you—these are all meaningful actions. Don’t you feel wronged.”

Like an actor rehearsing before taking the stage, Arnold practiced these lines over and over. Even though the final outcome might differ from his rehearsals, he was still very meticulous.

”I’ve been thinking. The best ’greeting’ from the Great Mentor would be a new trial for you, and I’m the one who’s going to arrange it!”

”However, Moonflow Stream itself already holds many ’greetings’ left behind by the Great Mentor. Those should be more than enough for you to handle. Heh heh, good luck with that, young ones.”

Arnold’s mouth wasn’t idle, and neither were his hands. The traps he was setting were gradually nearing completion, no longer requiring further adjustments.

Nevertheless, he meticulously checked each trap again and again, ensuring everything was perfect.

”Hmm, that’s more like it. Every trap is gleaming, ready to fulfill its mission.”

”Kadi, oh Kadi, you really are a lucky fellow. And so is your companion. How incredibly fortunate you are to receive the Great Mentor’s ’greetings’!”

”Among all of us monsters here, very few have ever received the Great Mentor’s ’greetings.’ Now that you’re about to encounter them—which are, in essence, new trials—don’t you think you’re incredibly lucky?”